The Folly
by kymby67
Summary: Edith Crawley expected Sir Anthony Strallan to propose at the Garden Party. When he doesn't, will she take matters into her own hands or simply allow him to walk away?
1. Disappointment

**Well, here I go again. Seriously, I have a problem. It seems I can't help myself, every time I watch Edith and Anthony's garden party scenes, I have an overwhelming urge to, in some way, fix JF's horrendous mistake. You'll recognize the material from canon.**

With a spring in his step, a song in his heart, and a ring in his waistcoat pocket, Anthony Strallan strolled happily across Downton's back gardens seeking, amidst the crowds of well dressed aristocrats, Lady Edith Crawley, the young woman whom he hoped would, on this fine sunny afternoon, agree to become his wife. Sadly though, the kind and unsuspecting fellow that some folks considered dull as paint, by some unfortunate chance, encountered her older sister first. Usually one to avoid his company, Mary, on this particular afternoon, seemed oddly friendly, eager even, to aid the baronet in his search, although, he realized too late, it was a willingness borne out of a desire to be hurtful rather helpful.

"I can't seem to find your sister" he casually remarked to the dark haired beauty, who immediately seized upon the opening the gentleman had unwittingly presented to weave her web of lies and deceit.

Her words, delivered in a deceptively innocent manner, were cruel and calculating, cutting the older gentleman to his core has she flippantly replied that the middle Crawley daughter was most likely hiding from the old bore who'd promised to propose today. Devastated, Anthony, unable to contain the grimace of pain that flashed across his face, listened quietly has the eldest daughter continued to fill his head with images of a certain strawberry blonde who mocked and ridiculed him behind his back while her family laughed about his unwitting performance as the love-struck fool. When Mary finally ceased with her taunts, the tall blond quickly fabricated an excuse and fled towards the front lawn of the majestic estate, where, unfortunately, he encountered the young woman whom he had, for the past ten minutes, been hoping to avoid.

"There you are" she smiled, somehow both bashfully and brilliantly at the same time. Oh, what a fool he'd been for even thinking this gorgeous young lady would ever consider an old codger like him to be husband material.

"Lady Edith, I... I'm sorry... but... but I must be leaving. There's a matter of urgent business that needs my immediate attention" he lied.

More important than asking me to be your wife, the redhead thought, "Surely, you can't be leaving already?"

"Please, make my excuses to your mother" he replied, tipping his hat in her direction and hurriedly turning to make his escape.

Puzzled by Anthony's unexpected departure, Edith watched his retreating figure for a moment before glancing around to spy the smug smirk plastered on her elder sister's countenance. Oh no, you'll not ruin my chance at happiness today, the strawberry blonde decided, scurrying off in the direction the baronet had taken.

Upon reaching the section of the estate that had been designated for parking, desperation seized the young woman has she observed the tall blond open the door to his Rolls Royce and slide behind the wheel. "Sir Anthony" she called, sounding more desperate than she'd have liked, only to be ignored. Perhaps, he hadn't heard her.

"Sir Anthony" she cried once more, this time a bit louder. Again, the older gentleman neither responded to nor acknowledged her pleas.

"Sir Anthony" her voice rose even higher, attracting the attention of a few of the guests who'd just arrived. "Wait!" she demanded forcefully, surprising not only the baronet but herself as well.

The older gentleman sighed inwardly, "Lady Edith, I really must be going" he began.

"Yes, well you made me a promise" she boldly interrupted, approaching the vehicle "and before you go, I'd like to know whether you plan on keeping it? If not, I deserve, at the very least, an explanation I should think."

Anthony glanced furtively at the small crowd gathering to witness the public display between him and Lord Grantham's daughter. Inwardly cursing his luck, he took a deep breath and stepped out of the Rolls, resisting the urge to slam the door shut behind him.

"Could we at least find somewhere private to speak" he muttered.

"Follow me" the young woman ordered, turning to head to the one place she was fairly certain they wouldn't be disturbed... the folly.


	2. Deception

The pair set off at a brisk pace, and initially Edith, her arms swinging and adrenaline pumping, matched the much taller Anthony stride for stride as they marched angrily towards their destination. Unfortunately though, with each step taken, the young woman's feelings of inadequacy began to resurface so that by the time the couple arrived at the folly, her momentary sense of bravado had been completely replaced by her characteristic self-loathing. Her progress slowed, eventually grinding to a halt near the bottom of the ruins.

"Sir Anthony" she sighed, "forgive me for causing a scene. You have business to tend to so I shan't keep you any longer."

Anthony, although confused by the sudden change of events, gave the strawberry blonde a curt nod before turning back in the direction from which they'd come. The older gentleman was nearly half way to his car before recognizing Edith had failed to follow. Irritated, he waited, thinking she was perhaps taking a moment to compose herself. After five minutes had passed and the young lady had not yet made an appearance, Anthony, unable to shake his growing concern, gave an impatient huff and headed back towards the folly. He couldn't just leave her out there by herself for god knows what to happen.

Now, having retraced his steps without their paths having crossed, the baronet, rounding a bend, was annoyed to find the redhead perched atop the stone steps staring vacantly off into the distance.

"Lady Edith" he called, his voice tinged with frustration, "I really must be leaving."

"Then by all means, Sir Anthony, please, leave. It's not as though any one's keeping you" the young woman retorted without so much as a glance in his direction, "I think I'll sit for a spell."

"I mustn't leave you here alone. Besides, you shouldn't worry your parents needlessly. I'm sure they're looking for you as we speak."

"I doubt they've noticed my absence at all" Edith huffed. "I'll be fine. I come here all the time." There was an awkward pause before she spat out bitterly, "Alone, of course, always alone!"

At that, Edith looked briefly in his direction and Anthony was startled to see she'd been crying. What on earth was going on, the tall blond wondered. The young woman appeared to be genuinely upset but it certainly wasn't due to the lack of his proposal, was it? It couldn't be, considering Lady Mary's earlier revelation. The baronet sighed, by all accounts he was a gentleman and as such, it would be entirely improper for him to leave Edith alone. Exasperated by the situation in which he found himself, Anthony trudged up the steps and took a seat across from her. A long and extremely uncomfortable silence ensued as he watched the strawberry blonde look anywhere but towards him.

"Why?" he asked eventually.

"Why what?"

"I suppose I'm curious about your change of heart? Earlier you were furious, adamant that I explain my failure to keep my promise and now..." he shrugged, unsure what else to say.

"It suddenly occurred to me that I wasn't the only one who'd had time to consider the question you intended to ask. Obviously, you've given it a great deal of thought yourself these past few days and..." Edith's lowered lip trembled, "and... you've changed your mind."

Bewildered, Anthony's brow furrowed as he stared at the young woman across from him swiping at her tear stained cheek, "And that... upsets you?"

"Of course it does! At first, I thought Mary had said something to poison things between us but then I realized it wasn't necessary for her to interfere because no one is ever going to truly love me. Not Patrick, not Matthew, not my family. Even the servants pity me. Mary has Carson, who worships the ground she walks on, Mrs. Hughes positively adores Sybil, and then there's me, poor Lady Edith, whom even everyone downstairs feels a bit sorry for."

"I'm sure that's not true" the older gentleman began, "you are..."

"I'm unlovable, Anthony!" the strawberry blonde exclaimed, bursting into tears. "It's just taken you a little longer than most people to discover that particular truth."

Stunned by Edith's unexpected declaration, Anthony stood, his heart beating wildly in his chest. Yes, it was true, one of the Crawley sisters had partaken in a devious game of deception but the blue eyed baronet now knew it was Lady Mary, rather than Edith, who had played him for the fool.

"Edith, please forgive me" the baronet murmured, "It seems I've made a terrible mistake."


	3. Confessions

_Edith, please forgive me" the baronet murmured, "it seems I've made a terrible mistake."_

"Of course, you'd think getting involved with me was a mistake" Edith moaned. "My entire life is one big mistake. All I've ever been to anyone it seems is a disappointment."

Anthony's eyes widened, "No, no, that's not at all what I meant. You were right about Mary, about her interfering. She led me to believe that your feelings for me were insincere. That you were toying with me, laughing behind my back. That you thought of me as an old bore and considered the idea of my proposal nothing more than a joke."

"And you believed her" the older gentleman cringed at the look of hurt and disappointment in Edith's eyes, "the woman who ignored you at dinner except to laugh at your misfortune when you choked on the salty pudding. The woman who refused a spin in the Rolls and refers to you as poor old Strallan."

"I made a mistake, Edith and I regret acting so foolishly. Please, I'll do anything, I beg you, just give me another chance."

"I... I'm not sure that I can, Anthony. I... I don't understand! After the time we've spent together, how could you be so easily..."

"It happened once before" the tall blond blurted.

"What?" Edith tried to think of something to say but words failed her and she simply gaped at her companion.

Taking off his homburg, Anthony began fidgeting nervously with the brim, avoiding Edith's stare, "Amelia was the daughter of Viscount Lumley and we met during the season. She was the picture of loveliness and elegance and I was completely taken with her after our first meeting. To my surprise, she seemed to take an interest in me, despite of my bumbling awkwardness. I began calling on her and, as time passed, things seemed to be progressing towards a proposal, at least I thought so, until someone kindly took me aside and informed me I was making a fool of myself." The baronet sighed, "the long and short of it being that I'd been nothing more than a pawn to coerce the future Earl of Albemarle into proposing."

"Oh, Anthony! What a horrible thing to do to someone!"

"In hindsight, I should have suspected something was amiss. There were subtle clues, that in my eagerness to be with her, I was willing to overlook, one being that I was only allowed to call on her on specific days."

Shutting his eyes, the baronet bowed his head and sat quietly for several minutes. Edith, having no idea as to how to comfort the older gentleman, remained silent as well.

When once again the tall blond spoke, his voice trembled, "When I confronted her, she simply laughed and said, _'__Anthony, darling surely you didn't think I'd consider tying myself to_ _a_ _lowly baronet with only_ _a __simple estate in the country. I'd be driven insane from sheer boredom'."_ He shrugged, "Perhaps now you can understand why I was so affected by Mary's little conversation earlier. It was extremely painful to endure and conjured up bitter memories I thought I'd long ago put to rest. It shook my confidence and caused me to doubt that a warm, charming, beautiful woman such as yourself could feel anything but fond friendship towards me. I felt quite the fool on both occasions, then and today, and, I can honestly say that the only thing worse than feeling young and foolish is thinking you're old and foolish."

"You're neither old nor foolish" Edith declared. "Besides, you eventually found Maude and it sounds as though the two of you were quite happy together."

"Maude, my dear, was a necessity. Oh, we became rather fond of each other but our relationship was more or less an arrangement between our families. I'd never really considered myself a catch and after the incident with Amelia, well, I was completely gun shy. My father, though, took every opportunity to remind me that I had a responsibility to produce a heir and, in Maude's case, she was approaching an age which her family feared, if she didn't marry soon, she end up a spinster."

"I had no idea your marriage was... you never hinted it was an arrangement of sorts."

Anthony turned to face the strawberry blonde, giving her a small smile, "I seriously doubt such information would have, in any way, benefited my persuading you to marry me, now would it, my sweet?"

"I... I don't know. I don't believe it would have deterred me" the young woman murmured, causing Anthony's grin to grow just a bit wider.

"Well, upon meeting Maude, I wondered why no one had yet offered her a proposal. I'd expected she might be ugly or at the very least plain in appearance but she was neither."

The baronet fell silent and Edith waited patiently for him to continue. After several minutes though, her curiousity won out, "What... why hadn't..." she fumbled, trying to find a polite way to pose her question.

"She was too outspoken, too opinionated, and, to my delight, far too intelligent for most men's taste. I remember thinking, at least we'll be able to have a meaningful conversation. We both saw it has a means to an end. Not very romantic, I suppose, but practical. It was a rare occurrence to marry for love then, even rarer than it is now" Anthony paused, looking directly into Edith's eyes. "In some ways you remind me of her."

"I do?"

"Yes" he leaned in closer, brushing a hand through her curls, his lips grazing lightly near her left ear, "but with one huge difference" he whispered.

"And... and... and what... what might... that be" Edith stammered overcome by the nearness of Anthony's body to hers and the husky timbre of his voice.

"Maude never set my pulse racing like it does when I'm with you."

** Thanks for reading and if you have time to comment or leave a review, I would certainly appreciate it. xx**


	4. Allow Me To Convince You

**I know the chapters have been brief but with RL being difficult, it was either shorter chapters posted more frequently or longer ones posted far and few between. I chose the former. Thanks for the reviews, comments, and follows! You folks are the best!**

_"Maude never set my pulse racing like it does when I'm with you."_

Completely unaccustomed to receiving any type of compliment, let alone one as intimate as Anthony's declaration, the strawberry blonde blushed, "now you're just teasing me" she muttered, looking away in embarrassment.

Reaching out to tuck a errant curl behind the young woman's ear, the baronet trailed his hand along her cheek, "Edith look at me " he coaxed, delicately tugging at her chin, "please."

At the redhead's failure to respond to his pleas, Anthony suddenly stood, his hand at her elbow gently urging the young woman to her feet as well and after casting a wary glance about to make sure they were indeed alone, he led his bewildered companion to the far side of the folly, darting behind a column and placing them out of view of any possible passersby. The tall blond, who was feeling quite pleased at his spontaneity, immediately regretted his actions upon noticing the puzzled look of concern on Edith's face.

"I didn't mean to frighten you, my darling girl. I only wished to prove that I... I... wasn't teasing you" he sighed, his earlier display of boldness rapidly dissipating.

It was Edith's small voice that eventually broke the awkward silence that fell between them.

"How" she inquired timidly, her curiousity winning out over her sense of discomfiture at being so unladylike as to ask such a question.

A question which, unwittingly, served to stoke the older gentleman's growing desire. Anthony's eyes narrowed and his jaw twitched has several possibilities of "how" flitted rapidly through his brain. He stepped closer, snaking his arm posessively around the strawberry blonde's waist, pulling her to him.

"Like this" he whispered huskily, bending to capture her lips in a slow sensuous kiss.

Until that moment, the baronet's displays of affection towards Edith had been strictly befitting of a gentleman. A kiss to the back of her hand when he bid her goodnight, linking her arm through his as they walked, and, only just recently, had he taken to placing his hand at the small of her back. And, while such contact, because it was Anthony, had given her a thrill and caused her to slightly shiver, this new level of intimacy was absolute bliss and, in response, Edith's entire body trembled uncontrollably. Clasping her hands around baronet's neck to steady herself, her fingers brushed agains the soft curls at the nape of his neck before threading their way through his wavy locks. Savoring the sweet taste of the strawberry blonde's lips and relishing the warmth of her body and the feel of her fingers in his hair, Anthony, whose own hands had found their way to Edith's hips, lost himself completely to the taste, touch, and warmth of the young woman in his arms. Now, with a firm grip, he pressed her body flush against his, eliciting a whimper from the young woman has her pelvis brushed against him. It was that delicious little sound which effectively jolted the tall blond from his lusty haze causing him to reluctantly break the kiss.

"Must... must... you... stop" Edith panted.

"My intent" Anthony replied, his breath coming in short ragged gasps as he fixated upon Edith's heaving bosom, "was only to convince not compromise you, my sweet."

Revelling in the afterglow of the kiss, Edith, her heart pounding and unable to think of anything except the feel of Anthony's lips, very much found herself in unfamiliar territory. "I wouldn't mind being compromised" she murmured, dropping her head to hide the flush she felt spreading across her cheeks, "as long as it were with you."

"Edith, we simply mustn't do this" the baronet growled, "call me old fashioned but I believe that particular pleasure is to be shared with one's husband."

"But.. so... you don't want me?"

"Oh, my sweet, you have no idea how many times I've imagined the two of us together..."

"Truly" the strawberry blonde squeaked, sounding a bit relieved. "You mean, I'm not the only one who's had such thoughts."

Anthony, both startled and aroused by Edith's confession, decided, that as a gentleman, it was his responsibility to steer the couple towards safer waters.

"Now... is... is... neither the time nor... nor the place for such a... a... a conversation" he stuttered, grabbing the young woman by the hand and guiding her back towards the front of the folly. "Perhaps, it's time we returned to the party."

"Not yet, please" the redhead pleaded, once again taking a seat on the steps and patting the space beside her "Couldn't we simply sit for a bit?"

"I suppose" the tall blond agreed. Hesitantly, he sat down as well, making sure, much to his companion's diappointment, to place himself well out of the reach of Edith's enticing temptations.


	5. Edith's Declaration

**Happy Easter! I hope everyone in our little community is having a most wonderful day! Thanks for continuing to read! xx**

Not to be deterred by the distance the baronet had placed between them, Edith slid over, taking Anthony's arm and draping it over her shoulder before boldly wrapping her arms around his waist and snuggling up to him.

"Edith" the tall blond warned.

"Oh lighten up, Anthony", the strawberry blonde scoffed. "Compared to the way you kissed me just a moment ago, sitting here in such a manner seems rather tame wouldn't you say?"

The older gentleman relaxed, "I suppose you're right" he agreed, resting his chin on top her head.

The couple sat quietly for awhile, staring out over Downton's vast estate, pretending to take in the sights and sounds of a lovely summer afternoon in the country. In actuality though, both parties were completely pre-occupied with the kiss they'd shared earlier. Anthony, unable to control his body's growing response to the memory of Edith's soft warm body pressed against him, found himself, much to his dismay and embarrassment, in quite the predicament.

"Edith" he began, shifting about uncomfortably has the pressure of his growing erection became more and more unbearable, "I need to stretch my legs a bit", he fibbed

"You mentioned spending a great deal of time here" Anthony remarked, ambling leisurely about the ruins. "Might I ask what you do or is it something you'd prefer to keep private?" he asked, bending to closer examine a particular bit of architectural detail that had caught his attention.

"Nothing remotely interesting" the young woman shrugged. "I always bring a book or two and my journal, so most of my time is either spent reading or writing but sometimes, if I'm in the mood, I'll also bring my pencils and sketch book."

"You're an artist" the tall blond exclaimed, whirling around in surprise, "I had no idea!"

"More like doodling" Edith giggled, rolling her eyes, "I certainly wouldn't call it art."

"Well, I should like to form my own opinion" Sir Anthony grinned, "that is, if you would allow me the privilege of seeing your work. Landscapes, I assume?"

"Mostly but I have done a portrait or two."

"Oh, and which lucky person had the honor of posing for you?"

"Well... I... I..." the strawberry blonde stammered, "I... did them from... from memory."

"Ahh, some handsome young Adonis that's captured your fancy, I would imagine" Anthony teased, "I find I rather envy him."

"Hardly, besides you've no reason to be envious."

"And why is that?"

Edith panicked, why, oh why, had she let that little bit of information slip.

"Because" she mumbled, ashamed at having been caught out, "they're of you."

"Of me" the blue eyed baronet's mouth gaped open, "why on earth would you want to sketch me?"

"Well, obviously, I find you quite handsome" the young woman blushed furiously at having made such a declaration, "and, until we attended the concert in York, you're visits were rather sporadic and it... it was a way..." Edith paused, searching for the words to express herself, "my way of... of having you with me while we were apart" she confessed. "Please, don't make me embarrass myself any further" she begged, her gaze dropping to the floor.

The baronet stared fondly at the young woman suddenly seeing her in a new light, "Those, my darling, must be the loveliest words ever spoken to me" he said softly.

Desperately needing to look Edith directly in the eye, Anthony gently cupped her cheek, attempting to guide the strawberry blonde's face up to meet his gaze. The young woman steadfastly refused, adamantly shaking her head before turning away from him.

"Edith, why do you turn away from me whenever I compliment you?"

"Because, because" the redhead shrugged, "pity, ridicule, criticism, those are all things I'm very familiar with. I've dealt with them my entire life. That's not true of compliments. So when you say something nice, I truly don't know how to respond. That's the reason I can't look into your eyes, Anthony, they're blue and brilliant and beautiful to begin with and when I see them filled with such concern, such care, and dare I hope, love, I find myself speechless, completely overwhelmed that the emotions I see could possibly be directed towards me. Edith Crawley! It's one of the many reasons I love you, Anthony. Oh, I know most folks see me as a desperate twenty-one year old with very few, or perhaps, no other options but that's not true. With you, I've found what I've been searching for this entire time. Someone who understands me, genuinely finds me interesting, who thinks I have something to offer him in return. You look at me, not through me and I finally know what it means to feel special to another person and I refuse to give that up" she cried. "I know it's not ladylike to say such things but I will not give you up! I love you!"

Her emotional outburst spent, the young woman rushed to the nearest bench, burying her head in her hands, "what must you think of me now" she sobbed, "acting like a silly school girl."

"I think" Anthony replied as he sat down beside Edith and pulled her into his arms "that you are the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on."


	6. Anthony's Response

After Edith's unexpected declaration, Sir Anthony Strallan, had been gently rocking the strawberry blonde in his arms for the past several minutes, stroking her hair and whispering softly into her ear as he attempted to soothe the young woman's frazzled emotions. Suddenly, the older gentleman burst out laughing.

"You seem to find my situation rather amusing" the redhead huffed.

"No, not at all my sweet. Actually" he smirked, "I was thinking of Mary."

Squirming from the baronet's grip, the strawberry blonde turned and looked at him in disbelief, "I should think that, after all the suffering she nearly caused, my sister would be the last person occupying your thoughts."

"But that's just it, don't you see?" he grinned mischievously

"No, I'm afraid I don't!"

"I'm quite certain Mary believes she scared me away. That you and I parted on bad terms" he chuckled gleefully. "Can you imagine the look on her face once she realizes her little scheme has backfired!"

Instantly, Edith was beaming too, unable to stop the broad smile that spread across her face as she pictured Mary's reaction.

"I suspect she's feeling rather pleased with her efforts" Anthony continued, nudging his shoulder against her, "Gloating even, thinking I've failed to propose."

The strawberry blonde, who'd also begun to laugh at just how disappointed her older sister would be, suddenly froze, "but you haven't though, have you? Proposed, that is" she pointed out.

Anthony sobered as well "Edith, our earlier confrontation has gotten me to thinking and, if I may, I'd like to make a suggestion, although I fear it's one you won't be pleased with."

The young woman stood, turning her back on her companion, looking out over the green fields. In the distance, she could see the tops of the tarpaulins, which had been set up to provide guests relief from the scorching rays of the summer sun. Mary was certainly sitting under one of those, sipping a flute of chilled champagne and reveling in her latest victory over her younger sister.

"You've decided it would be best to wait." It was a statement not a question.

"What? No!" the tall blond rose abruptly and went to stand at her side, "but surely the fact that Mary so easily drove a wedge between us says to me that our relationship is not as strong as we'd..." the baronet's voice trailed off, his explanation clearly upsetting Edith, he hesitated, "let me start over."

"Mary's attempt to tear us apart is, quite possibly, the best thing that could have happened to us, my dear. It brought us closer together, forced us to reveal our true feelings towards each other, thereby strengthening our bond, wouldn't you agree. My dearest darling, I know without a doubt, that I want to spend the rest of my days with you and, for some reason which I simply cannot fathom, you seem to want to bind yourself to this old codger." Kneeling before her, he took her hand in his, "Edith Crawley, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

"Yes, Anthony, yes! Nothing would make me happier!" She frowned thoughtfully, "But, you've asked me to marry you so why should I be displeased?"

"Promise me you'll hear me out before you disagree" the baronet implored.

Taking just a moment to study his features, the young woman plainly saw the poor man was torn by what he was about to suggest. She nodded reluctantly "go on then."

"I... I think... we..." he stammered then took a deep breath, "I think we should wait to announce our engagement."

"Why? What possible reason is there for not..." she paused, glaring angrily towards him, "you're right, Sir Anthony, I'm not at all pleased that you'd ask me for my hand in marriage then want to keep our betrothal secret."

Finding himself locked in the sights of Edith's fiery gaze, the baronet swallowed nervously, steady on old chap, he told himself, surely you expected just such a reaction. He opened his mouth to speak but Edith held a hand effectively silencing him. "But, I did agree to hear you out" she sighed despondently.

"Edith" the tall blond stepped towards her, reaching out to take both her hands in his, "I've learned more about you, more about your feelings for me in the last few hours than in the entire time we've courted. Once our engagement is announced, my dear, you're aware, as am I, that we'll not have a moment alone to ourselves. No afternoon tea at Locksley, no strolls without a chaperone, no more drives through the country side and certainly no more kisses" he teased, causing the strawberry blonde to blush. "I assure you, sweet one, my motives are entirely selfish" the blue eyed baronet confessed, "I find upon having obtained this new level intimacy between us, I simply want to keep you to myself for awhile longer. Is that so wrong?"

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	7. Hidden Dimensions

**Thanks for all your lovely reviews to the last chapter. I'm afraid this one turned out to be a bit of Andith fluff.**

"_I __find, upon having obtained this new level of intimacy between us, I simply want to keep you to myself for awhile longer. Is that so wrong?"_

The sincerity of Anthony's pronouncement, coupled with the intensity of the gaze he currently bestowed upon her, caused Edith to blush furiously and she cast her eyes momentarily towards the ground.

"You mentioned there'd be kisses" she whispered, looking up at him bashfully, "do you think it possible to receive one now?"

The older gentleman gave a lopsided grin, "I'm beginning to think you only agreed to this engagement for my kisses" he teased.

Edith giggled nervously, "you are quite good at it." She paused a moment, pretending to think on the matter, "I certainly enjoyed them, perhaps you're right."

"Then I shall have to kiss you well and often" the baronet flirted.

"Oh! Well, when... when you... put it that way" she stammered at the unexpected flirtation, "a secret betrothal sounds quite romantic and... and a bit scandalous." There was a pause, "And, I find, I rather like the idea!" she admitted, stepping hesitantly towards her intended, "although, I might perhaps need a bit more convincing."

Oh gawd, the strawberry blonde groaned inwardly, your attempts at flirting are always such an awkward disaster, why do you even try? With a quick twisting motion, she sought to release her wrists from Anthony's grasp but the baronet held tightly, refusing to let go. Pulling her close with one hand, he placed the long slender fingers of his other beneath her chin, tilting her face up, "I'd be more than happy to try" he murmured, slowly lowering his head until their lips were but a fraction apart, "I'm afraid it may take a bit of time, though."

"Take as much time as you'd like..." was all the ecouragement the tall blond needed before once again claiming her lips.

The kiss was warm and slow, both torturous and heavenly at the same time, Edith thought, has she shivered inspite of the million tiny fires the baronet's actions lit in her eager young body. Dear lord, did the man have any idea what he was doing to her. And then, when Anthony lightly traced her lips with his tongue before boldly deepening the kiss, Edith was further mortified by the fact that she seemingly lost all control, wantonly bucking her hips against him as his tongue danced with hers.

Anthony was ecstatic. Elated he'd been able to elicit such a response from the young redhead but also pleased that his own body was quick to respond in a manner completely inappropriate for a gentleman. When he finally broke the kiss, Edith moaned in disappointment, "you're torturing me."

"Well, we can't have that" he smiled, "what say we go torment your sister for awhile? I don't know about you, my darling, but I, for one, long for sweet revenge. In fact, I can hardly wait to see the look on Mary's face when she sees us so deliriously happy."

Edith gasped, staring up at him adoringly, "There are many complex layers hidden beneath that public image you portray on the surface, aren't there Sir Anthony Strallan?"

He gave a devilish grin, "Marry me" he said, raising his left brow suggestively "and I promise, all will be revealed."

With Anthony having felt the need to stop and convince Edith every so often, it was a bit late before the duo finally managed to return to the party. The baronet was bursting at the seams, filled with pride that the beautiful young woman on his arm had agreed to be his wife. Edith, filled with affection and adoration for the gentleman who would one day be her husband, was absolutely beaming. Upon their arrival, Lady Grantham who'd been keeping an eye out, shared a knowing look with her mother-in-law, before calling them over to where she, the dowager countess, and Mary were sitting.

"Good afternoon ladies" Anthony greeted, tipping his hat to them, "a very good afternoon indeed," he continued, biting his lip to keep from laughing at Mary's expression which was a mixture of shock, anger, and disappointment. "Dare I say, the very best afternoon of my life!"

"It is a good afternoon" Cora replied with a smile "wouldn't you agree Edith?"

"Oh yes Mama. A perfectly beautiful day for the party."

"We've been wondering where on earth the two of you had gotten to?" the dowager's disapproval of the couple's absence more than evident from her tone.

"Yes, I even sent Sybil out to look for you earlier" Cora remarked, a fact which gave Edith a bit of a start, "I wonder where... oh here she is. Where have you been young lady?"

"Looking for Edith and Sir Anthony, of course" her youngest replied. "What have the two of you been up to?" she asked sweetly and Edith could have sworn her baby sister's eyes were dancing with mischief.

"Oh, well, you see" Anthony looked knowingly towards Mary, "I'm afraid I had to save this lovely young lady here from some dreadful old bore."

"He was quite horrible" the strawberry blonde played along, "For a moment, I worried he was going to propose."

Rising, Mary glared angrily towards the pair, "If you'll excuse me" she huffed, "I must find Aunt Rosamund, I've just remembered, I promised her we'd take a stroll around the gardens."

Seeing that the rest of the group's attention was focused solely on Mary's angry departure, the baronet winked at his partner in crime, "Oh dear" he murmured, feigning concern, " I hope it wasn't something we said."

**So good, bad, meh? Please let me know. Whatever your opinion, I hope you'll continue reading. **


	8. Family Matters

"Sir Anthony" Lord Grantham called a few moments later, beckoning the baronet to join the small group of men carrying on a lively conversation under the shade of a giant oak tree.

If you ladies would please excuse me" he smiled, giving a polite bow.

"So, Edith" her mother smirked, "I assume the two of you will be making an announcement later."

"No, Mama, I don't believe so."

"What! But I thought..." Sybil shot an inquisitive look in her older sister's direction making Edith more than slightly nervous.

"The two of you seemed so comfortable with each other" Cora seemed just as puzzled as  
her youngest daughter, "based on your actions, I was certain Sir Anthony had proposed."

"It's probably just that you're seeing us after we've spent most of the day together. It's always like that when we're alone" the redhead's heart raced, trying to appease her mother. "Out from under the constraints of society, Mama, we're so at ease with one another. It's quite lovely" she blushed.

"Please, spare us any further details" the dowager spoke up, "We can see the man is quite smitten with you. He's hardly taken his eyes off you since the two of you've returned."

Edith chanced a glance towards where the tall blonde was standing, blushing at the crooked grin he flashed in her direction has their eyes met across the crowded lawn.

"Well, I'm sure Sir Anthony will be speaking with your father very soon, my dear" Lady Grantham gushed, her enthusiasm at planning a future wedding was obvious.

"I wouldn't be too sure."

"Edith, have you seen the roses recently" Sybil took her sister's arm "they're looking quite lovely. Why don't we take a turn about the gardens?"

"I... I don't know" the strawberry blonde stuttered, a bit unnerved by the expression on her younger sister's countenance. She'd seen that look before and knew Sybil was on a mission. "What if Anthony..."

"For goodness' sake, child, you don't seem to be very certain about anything today" the dowager interrupted. "Sir Anthony's a grown man, who's perfectly capable of navigating such events on his own. I'm sure he'll be fine for a moment or two. Go on, now" she ordered, waving her cane in the direction of the rose garden.

Edith reluctantly followed, feigning interest in the bright blooms as she went along and desperately hoping her sister had simply wanted to escape from granny. Sybil waited patiently until they'd reached the far end of the garden, well out of earshot of any family or guests, before launching into her interrogation, "ok, sister dear, what's really going on between you and Sir Anthony?"

"I've no idea what you mean..."

The brunette rolled her eyes, "Mary made an off hand remark earlier that if you were expecting a proposal from Sir Anthony today, she thought you were going to be a bit disappointed. So, when Mama sent me to find you, I made my way to the folly, knowing you often escape there to just be with your thoughts."

Edith dropped her head, "please, say you didn't " she groaned.

"Say, I didn't what? See the two of you kissing passionately!"

Edith groaned even louder.

Sybil giggled delightedly, "I would never have expected Sir Anthony to be such an..." the brunette paused, "ardent lover!"

"Sybil!" Edith hissed, glancing about to ensure their privacy.

"Although" the youngest Crawley laughed, "I must say, I don't know which was more surprising, his amorous kisses or the enthusiasm with which you were responding!"

Panicking, the strawberry blonde grasped her baby sister's wrist, "you haven't said anything have you?"

"Of course not", Sybil assured her, "in fact, I purposely waited until the two of you had returned so I wouldn't have to answer any of Mama's prying questions."

"Oh, thank heaven's!" Edith was visibly relieved. She studied her sister for a moment, "you're far nicer than either Mary or me."

"And, you're much kinder, and happier, now that you've been spending time with Sir Anthony."

"Yes, he certainly seems to bring out a better side of me, doesn't he?"

"I agree. So there's truly no engagement to be announced?"

The strawberry blonde shook her head, "No. I suppose, you're appalled by our behavior?"

"I admit" the brunette chuckled, "it was a bit shocking to see you kiss Sir Anthony as though you wanted to climb into his suit with him." She shrugged, "And, it's a bit difficult to imagine such a shy, mild-mannered gentleman taking, as grandmama would say, such liberties without having proposed."

"Well, it's complicated but" Edith paused, wondering just how much she should reveal, "we do have an understanding."

"I knew it" Sybil squealed, giving her sister a big hug, "I'm so happy for you both!"

"Honestly though, Syb, you mustn't tell a soul."

"I won't breathe a word" her sister promised, making a crossing motion over her heart.

Arriving back at the party, the young ladies found Sir Anthony and their father had joined Lady Grantham and the dowager countess. "There you are" the baronet smiled brightly, linking his arm through Edith's, "I was afraid I might have to come rescue you from some handsome young chap" he teased, bringing her free hand to his lips and pressing a soft kiss to her fingers.

Sybil smirked at the older gentleman while Robert and Cora, appeared to find his display of affection, both, amusing and endearing. Of course, Lady Violet was less than pleased and furiously tapped her cane against the ground in an attempt to signal her disapproval. From a distance, Mary sneered, angry that her plan to ruin Edith's day had fallen through. Edith and Anthony, having only eyes for each other, were completely oblivious to everyone else's reactions. Unfortunately, for all those present, bad news loomed on the horizon and would soon make it's presence known.

**This story is moving rather slowly so I appreciate that you all are even continuing to read. Thanks! xx**


	9. A Telegram For Sir Anthony

Sybil sat next to her mother, discreetly watching while Edith and Anthony attempted to make polite conversation with the many guests who stopped to mingle amongst the members of the Crawley family. The brunette smiled to herself, clearly her sister and future brother-in-law were both pre-occupied with something or, in this case, someone, they considered far more interesting than any small talk currently being offered. His eyes never leaving his Edith, the much taller Sir Anthony, normally the epitome of gentlemanly behavior, stared adoringly at her over the tops of the head of those with whom he was supposed to be interacting. Meanwhile, the object of the older gentleman's undivided attention constantly maneuvered her position so that she kept the blue eyed baronet in her line of sight. Glancing towards her grandmother, Sybil pursed her lips together tightly to avoid laughing at the dowager's blatant expression of distate concerning the couple's lack of manners. The youngest Crawley's smothered laughter quickly turned to a frown, realizing Edith would most likely receive a severe scolding at the hands of the family matriarch in the very near future. I must remember to ask whether Sir Anthony's _affections _are worthy of having to endure our grandmother's wrath, she chuckled to herself, although she was pretty certain as to what Edith's answer would be.

Out of the corner of his eye, Lord Grantham saw Carson rapidly approaching from the direction of the Abbey. Due to the butler's haste, he assumed it must be a matter of concern and hurried to meet the older man "Is there a problem, Carson?"

"It's an urgent telegram for Sir Anthony, m'lord. Earlier this afternoon, his butler telephoned to say it had arrived and would be delivered by one of the footmen from Locksley. The lad arrived not five minutes ago."

"Thank you, Carson" Lord Grantham took the letter from Carson's hand, "I'll see to it that Sir Anthony receives this'' he said, dismissing the butler with a curt nod.

Catching the baronet's eye, the earl motioned him over with a wave of the telegram. Now, having turned the note over to it's rightful owner, Robert took a moment to study the tall blond who was in the process of hastily scanning through the letter's contents "I hope you've not received bad news" he said, detecting the brief scowl that momentarily crossed the gentleman's countenance.

Anthony glanced up, a frown furrowed deep into his forehead, "unfortunately" he muttered, lowering his voice before continuing, "this is bad news for all of England. Not that it was unexpected." He folded the paper slowly, deliberating with himself, before finally handing it to Robert, "You'll be receiving the news shortly but until then, you mustn't say anything to anyone."

The earl's confusion quickly changed to surprise as he read the telegram's content. "YOU", Robert's emphasis of the word was not lost on the tall blond, "were aware of this announcement?"

"Well, as you know, the ultimatum for Germany to withdraw from Belgium expired at midnight and..." the baronet shrugged nonchalantly, "during recent months, at Prime Minister Asquith's request, I've traveled several times to the continent, particularly to Austria and Germany. The folks at Whitehall seemed to feel my presence might be beneficial during negotiations with Kaiser Wilhelm..." Anthony's voice faltered at Lord Grantham's look of astonishment and the tall blond flushed, embarrassed to suddenly find himsef at a loss for words.

"Well, I never did" the earl declared, handing the telegram back.

"Perhaps...perhaps we... we ought to... to rejoin the others" the baronet stuttered, "and, with your permission, I'd like to speak privately with Lady Edith."

"Of course, of course" Lord Grantham replied, taking a long hard look at his neighbor and realizing his previous assesment of the man was far off the mark. It was common knowledge that the baronet was extremely intelligent, but Robert, along with most of the local aristocracy acquainted with this quiet, mild mannered, bookish gent, had always considered Anthony rather dull and a bit of a bore. But neither Lord Grantham, nor any of them had ever been called upon to take on any assignment on behalf of England. And, certainly not one as important as negotiating with the emperor of Germany. Watching as Anthony took Edith's arm and whispered in her ear before escorting her away from the prying eyes of her family, the earl wondered whether his daughter was aware of the role the baronet played in the events which were currently unfolding.

"I wonder where tweedle dee and tweedle dum are off to now" Mary sneered, approaching the rest of the group.

"That's quite enough of that, young lady" Lord Grantham replied sharply, causing everyone's eyes to widen in surprise at the severity of his tone.

"Oh, Papa, surely you can't be serious. The man is..."

"From now on, I expect Sir Anthony to be treated with respect" the earl interjected, giving his eldest daughter a pointed glance. "Is that understood?"

"Robert, what on earth has gotten into you" Cora asked. "Does this have anything to do with the discussion you and Sir Anthony were having just now?"

"All I can say at the moment" her husband replied, "is that all of us, except perhaps Edith, have misjudged the poor man. It appears Sir Anthony Strallan is a man of mystery rather than the dullard I perceived him to be."

**Now, just what have Anthony and Edith been discussing? **


	10. Conversation

**Thanks for continuing to read. You'll recognize Lord Grantham's lines from series one. Long live Andith! **

"Anthony, what's going on" Edith asked as the tall blond led her away.

"I'll explain once we're out of earshot of the other guests" he replied quietly and Edith, though a bit concerned by his serious tone, said nothing else until the older gentleman, after walking a bit further, glanced around to ensure they were alone before guiding her towards a small cluster of trees.

"Please, Anthony, talk to me. I'm starting to worry!"

Edith" the baronet sighed, "there was a second reason I felt we should keep our engagement secret, one I had hoped would not come to fruition, at least not so soon."

The strawberry blonde grew more anxious by the moment, "Anthony, you're beginning to frighten me. Are... are you trying to call our engagement off?"

For the moment, the tall blond chose to ignore the young woman's concerns, "As you are aware, I've made several trips to the continent in the past months."

"Yes" Edith was completely befuddled as to where the conversation was leading, "to Austria and Germany."

"Well then, perhaps, you've pieced together that I've been making such trips for the past few years."

"I had gathered as much" the redhead said thoughtfully, "you have such wonderful anecdotes about the Kaiser such as Lady Strallan saying he loved uniforms and medals but never really connected them with fighting."

"Indeed, but even before Maude's death, I was making frequent visits at the request of Mansfield Cumming."

"Mansfield Cumming!" Edith gasped. "The head of the Foreign Section of the Secret Service Bureau!"

The older gentleman shrugged, "I assume you're familiar with the Triple Entente as well."

"Why would you assume that?" Edith asked warily.

Anthony's mouth quirked into a smile of sorts, "Because you, Edith Crawley, are an intelligent young woman with a keen interest in British history who also happens to be very well informed about current events and world issues."

"Most men would be rather put off by that fact" the strawberry blonde worried her bottom lip, "but you're not," timidly, the strawberry blonde glanced up into older gentleman's eyes, "are you?"

Anthony sensed her uncertainty, "Not at all, it's one of the many things I love about you" he reassured her, reaching out and gently stroking his thumb along that same lip, an action that left the young woman feeling flustered and suddenly shy.

"Well... to... to answer your question" she stuttered, "I.. I know that it was originally the Dual Entente, an... an 1892 agreement... between Russia and France in reaction to the 1879 alliance formed between Germany and Austria-Hungary. By 1907, due to her rise as an economic and military power, Germany was considered to be the greatest potential threat to the British empire, resulting in Britain aligning herself with France and Russia to form the Triple Entente. That's the reason Germany's presence in Belgium is of such concern, not only are Belgium's ports located near the British coast but passage through the country is paramount to the German plans for an invasion of France."

"Exactly, and German control of France would pose a tremendous threat to Britain. Unfortunately, Kaiser Wilhelm has disregarded Prime Minister's Asquith's ultimatum to withdraw from Belgium and now the British government feels an obligation to honor the promise to which she is bound under the 1839 Treaty of London to defend the neutrality of Belgium in the event of an invasion." Taking a deep breath, the tall blond waited, allowing the implications of his words to sink in.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying? Will there really be a war?"

The baronet's expression was grave, "I've already received confirmation and an official announcement is expected at any time. Which brings us back to my other reason for wanting to keep our engagement a secret. I can't go into any details but my activity abroad has been in service to King and country."

Anthony paused once more, the silence lingering between them until Edith could stand it no more. "Whatever it is that you're so reluctant to tell me" she huffed impatiently, "I wish you'd stop beating about the bush and just be done with it."

"I'm fairly certain that for the length of the war, I'll be expected to continue to continue my service in some capacity. I may simply be called to London or I may be required to return the continent."

"But, if there is a war, surely it won't last long. Everyone seems to think it would be over by Christmas. You don't agree?"

The tall blond shook his head slowly, "No, based on my sources, I'm afraid this war may drag out for a year or two, perhaps even longer. I certainly hope I'm wrong but..." the older gentleman's voice trailed off and Edith could see from the expression in his eyes that he seemed to be fighting some sort of inner battle.

"But what?" the young woman prompted.

"If I'm sent abroad, there's a real possibility that I will be gone for some length of time." Turning his back on his companion, the baronet looked off into the distance, "under such circumstances it would be unfair to ask you to wait for me. No one else is aware of our betrothal, so you only need say that you do not wish to spend an indeterminate amount of time awaiting to see whether or not I'll return and... and" his voice faltered as he fought back his fears, "I...I will understand."

At first, Edith was furious, ready to lash out but then, seeing the faint tremble of his shoulders, she realized this was just her dear, sweet, noble Anthony being the Anthony she had grown to love. Stepping to him, she wrapped her arms around him from behind, "I'll wait for you" she whispered, "be it months, days, or years."

"Oh god, Edith" he shuddered in relief, "I know it's selfish of me but I hoped you would." He turned, his large warm hands, firm yet gentle as he gripped her elbows, "Earlier, at the folly I mentioned that once our engagement was public, I could apply for a special license and we needn't wait to marry. So, I was hoping you could better accept my absence, knowing that when I returned, we could be married immediately." His blue eyes bore into her chestnut orbs pleading for her approval.

"I want you to go, Anthony, do whatever it is you need to do, but understand this, upon your return, we will be married as soon as you can arrange it. I will not wait any longer. Now, kiss me."

The baronet willingly obeyed, lowering his mouth to hers and basking in the feel of her lips against his. He kissed her softly, slowly, allowing himself the luxury of enjoying her sweet taste for several moments before pulling back, "Edith" he murmured, resting his chin atop her strawberry waves, "about the ring..."

"Anthony, we've already decided it would be best if you to return it to Locksley for safekeeping. I can't wear it openly and I certainly don't want to risk losing such a valuable family heirloom!"

"I know" he sighed, "but it seems wrong for you not to have some sort of token as an expression of our love and commitment. Perhaps I have something" he muttered, rummaging through his pockets. "Damn" he cursed, clearly frustrated at finding nothing he considered suitable. He grew quiet, desperate to leave her with some symbol of his love for her. "Here, take this!" he suddenly exclaimed, scrambling to remove his signet ring and pressing it into her hand.

"But.. but that ring is very important to you. You said yourself, that it's never left your finger since the day you put it on."

"As much as it means to me, Edith, you mean a great deal more and that is why I want you to keep it. So you will know, that heart, soul, and body, I am yours, and yours alone. I love you Edith and if you love me the way I believe you do, I beg of you, please, take it. A reminder, if or when we're apart, of how very much I love you."

Having escorted Edith back to her family, Anthony bidding farewell to Lord and Lady Grantham took his leave. Halfway across the lawn, he heard Lord Grantham's voice ring out, "Ladies and gentlemen, I very much regret to announce that we are at war with Germany."

The baronet turned, his eyes finding his sweet one and seeing the love that shone in her brown orbs, he realized what a fool he had been at having allowed someone to come between them. He tried to smile but found he couldn't, so, he simply nodded before turning and walking away as fast as his long legs could carry him. Before he did something really foolish and, extremely selfish, such as running to Edith and begging her to marry him immediately. Anthony stopped, and for a moment, he considered doing exactly that before shaking the thought from his head and continuing on. No, he would allow her this time to think over their situation and then, whatever she decided... "Stop it, old codger" he muttered to himself, pulling the key to the Rolls from his trouser pocket, "there's no need to torture yourself just yet."

**Anyone can see that I'm, obviously, not a history expert but if any of the minute amount of information used in this chapter needs correction, PLEASE, don't hesitate to let me know.**


	11. Edith's Decision

**A huge thank you to everyone continuing to read! And I'm especially grateful to everyone who has taken time to review.**

At the announcement of war, the atmosphere of the party grew somber, and, once the initial shock had worn off, guests began quietly taking their leave, anxious, amidst the rising uncertainty that such a declaration wrought, to return the comfort and safety of their own homes.

Cora turned to her husband and daughter, "I wonder if the war had anything to do with Sir Anthony's having to leave so early?"

In an effort to remain upright, Edith gripped the back of a nearby chair. When the action did little to steady her trembling knees, she slid rather awkwardly down onto the seat. Unable to find her voice, the young woman bowed her head in an effort to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. She wanted to be strong for Anthony's sake, to make him proud, to act bravely not as though she were a frightened child, still she couldn't stop the whimper that escaped her lips.

Watching his middle daughter with much more concern than he normally would, Robert Crawley suddenly realized that the strawberry blonde genuinely cared for Anthony Strallan, had, perhaps, even fallen in love with the older gentleman. She certainly didn't considered the baronet 'any port in a storm' has his mother had alluded to the couple's relationship. When he saw the slight shake of her shoulders, he quickly crossed to where Edith sat and taking the seat beside her pulled her into his arms, the unexpected action causing her to completely break down. "Oh, Papa" she wept, "I love him so much. If Anthony has to.. has to..." she wailed.

"If Anthony has to what" Lady Grantham asked, growing increasingly alarmed by Edith's unusual behavior. Her middle daughter seldom showed such emotion, well, except for the anger and frustration that spewed forth whenever she and Mary were at each other's throats. And, having endured for years the unkind barbs and sarcastic comments her older sister was constantly flinging about, Cora supposed that was only to be expected. "My darling girl" Robert soothed, "shall I tell them what I know?" In response, the young woman grasped her father's hand, and closing her eyes, slowly nodded her head up and down.

"Sir Anthony received a telegram earlier, informing him of the declaration of war. At the prime minister's request, he's been involved in the negotiations with Germany to try to prevent the outbreak of a war. It seems, he's also been serving in other capacities of which I haven't any details but clearly they are of great importance and he may be called to Whitehall or even abroad at some point during this conflict."

Edith had always been considered the wallflower of the family. Unlike her sisters, she was timid, unsure, and tended to spend her energy overthinking things while seldom ever acting upon those thoughts. Now, though, has her father's words and the harsh reality of the situation sank in, Edith refused to just sit idly by. She was painfully aware should Anthony be called upon to serve his country, there was a distinct possibility she'd have limited, if any, contact with him for the foreseeable future. Driven by the prospect of not knowing when or even if he'd return, the young woman made an uncharacteristically quick decision, a sense of calm and determination washing over her has she did so, "Please excuse me," she said, turning to her mother, "I'm not feeling well. I believe I'll have a bit of a lie down."

"Of course, dear. I'll have Mrs. Hughes send Anna right up."

"There's hardly a need for that" she gestured towards the servants scurrying about the aftermath of the party. "Anna has enough to deal with. I'll be fine."

"I'll go with you" Sybil volunteered, having noted the sudden change in her sister's demeanor.

"That's really not necessary" the strawberry blonde said, doing her best to keep from sounding annoyed.

"You can't fool me" Sybil whispered, tucking her arm through Edith's, "you're up to something and unless you want me to tell Mama and Papa..."

"Oh, come on then!"

Back in her bedroom, Edith began rifling through her closet, "perhaps it's a good thing you tagged along Sybil. I can certainly use your help getting out of my corset."

"You're going to remove your corset!" Even Sybil, the most rebellious in nature of the three sisters, found that a bit shocking, especially for Edith. "What on earth for?"

"Must you always ask so many questions?"

"Edith, this isn't like you at all." The younger Crawley stamped her foot, "I demand you tell me what it is you're planning to do!"

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell the brunette that it was none of her business but the redhead, conscious of the fact that without her sister's help, she'd never manage to quietly sneak away, gave in to Sybil's demands. "If you must know, I'm going to see Sir Anthony. There's a very important matter which I need to discuss with him."

"What could the two of you possibly have to discuss that requires your not wearing a corset?" the brunette flashed a cheeky grin.

"Could you please be serious! For all I know, he could be packing as we speak and it's imperative that I see him."

"I doubt Mama or Papa will approve of you asking to..."

"I won't need their permission. I'll simply cut across the field behind the folly then follow the creek to the little footbridge that joins the two properties. I seem to recall Anthony mentioning once, that if you cross there, it's only a half mile or so to Locksley."

Sybil's eyes widened in shock, "What's gotten into you, Edith? It's getting late. Shouldn't you at least wait until tomorrow morning?"

"If I wait until tomorrow, I run the risk of not seeing Anthony at all. As for what's gotten into me, I believe it's quite similar to the reason for your many trips to the garage recently."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean" the brunette sputtered, though the rosy blush that spread quickly across her cheeks indicated otherwise.

"One of the few benefits of being continually ignored and overlooked is that one becomes a rather keen observer. I've seen the looks that pass between you and Branson, your sweet on each other and, as you so aptly put it, unless you'd like for me to tell Papa or Mama..." the strawberry blonde threatened.

"You... you wouldn't... Would you?"

"Oh, Sybil darling" Edith sighed, "of course not. I... I know what it's like to be in... in love with somebody that everyone else considers an... an odd choice." The strawberry blonde looked imploringly towards her little sister, "I... I love Anthony. You said yourself that he makes me happy. I want... I need..." the redhead bit her lip. "Please Sybil, I'm begging you. Help me."

After passing the folly, Edith, preoccupied with thoughts of war, the man she loved, and what she intended to say once she saw him, initially headed in the wrong direction not realizing her mistake until she came upon an old rundown hunting cabin that hadn't been used since before her great grandfather's time. Having gone a good thirty minutes out of her way, the strawberry blonde panicked, turning to run in the opposite direction. There'd been only a few of hours of daylight remaining when she'd started out from Downton and now, she'd have to hurry in order to reach Locksley before darkness fell.

It was already dusk when Edith finally approached the gleaming lights of Locksley that evening, much later than she had anticipated arriving at Anthony's doorstep. Earlier, having stopped to rest on the stump of a felled tree, the young woman had briefly considered returning home and waiting until the next morning to pay the baronet a visit. But, after thinking the matter over, the strawberry blonde had decided she'd rather not risk the possibility of missing the older gentleman and soldiered on. Now, has she stood on the front step taking in her muddy shoes and crumpled dress, Edith was, once again, having second thoughts. Her outward appearance would do little to aid in her attempt to convince Sir Anthony of... She shook away her misgivings, took a deep breath, and raising the metal knocker, clapped boldly on the oaken door.

_I'm hoping to post the next chapter by Sunday or Monday. _


	12. Edith's Proposal

**Thanks for all the lovely reviews to the last chapter! You folks are the best! Long live Andith!**

Impatient to find out whether or not Anthony was home, Edith waited only briefly before knocking again. Shortly afterwards, she heard the latch being thrown back and the door slowly opened to reveal Oakley. "Good evening, Lady Edith," he greeted, stepping back to allow the earl's daughter entrance to the manor. If the old butler were surprised at having an unannounced visitor at such an odd time, he did wonderful job of hiding it.

"Evening Oakley. I...I'm sorry to barge in... but I... I was hoping to speak with Sir Anthony. If he's here," she asked hesitantly, her heart beating rapidly against her ribcage, fearful of the old gentleman's answer.

The door to the library opened, "Oakley, who the devil is calling at this hour," the baronet sounded quite irritated as he stepped out into the hall. Thank heaven's the strawberry blonde breathed a sigh of relief, I haven't missed him. It took a moment for Anthony's eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. Upon recognizing his unexpected visitor, he hurried down the corridor towards her, "Edith, what's wrong?" He caught her by the elbow, his gaze traveling from her messy curls down to her muddy feet and up again, his concern mounting has he took in her unkempt appearance. "Are you alright?" Were you and your driver involved in some sort of accident? Should I telephone Dr. Clarkson?" He fired off his series of questions in rapid succession, not bothering to wait for an answer.

Not that it mattered because, at the moment, Edith's attention was focused solely on Anthony's attire or lack thereof. Completely captivated by the tall blond's body, she uttered nary a word, simply stood admiring the broad expanse of bare chest exposed to her by his open robe. She swallowed hard, fighting the urge to brush a hand over the smattering of soft sandy hair that trailed downward past his navel. Dear lord, she knew she ought to avert her gaze but her eyes drifted lower, landing at his hips, the soft silk material of his pajamas leaving little to the imagination. Briefly, she was tempted to slip her hand under the edge of his waistband and brush her fingers against the naked skin beneath. Her entire body hummed with desire at the notion of doing so, a sudden rush of heat pooling at her core. Blushing at having had such wanton thoughts, the young woman dug her nails into her palms, a conscious effort to quell the rising need provoked by the sight of Anthony's half-naked body. Goodness, why is it suddenly so hot in here, the young woman wondered, I feel as though I might burst into flames.

The strawberry blonde was startled from her fantasy by the sound of Anthony's voice, "Edith, Edith!" He gave her shoulder a gentle shake, "Please, say something."

Her eyes dropped to the floor, a nervous giggle escaping her lips, "you're not wearing slippers," she announced, as though the baronet were not aware of the fact that he was standing before her barefoot. "You know, I've never seen your toes before."

Suddenly realizing the state of his appearance, the older gentleman nervously cleared his throat, "Er... well, no, I suppose you haven't," he awkwardly agreed, hands fumbling in his attempt to fasten his robe. After having finally made himself a bit more presentable, the baronet turned to his butler, "Oakley, would you please check to see if Lady Edith's driver..."

"There's no driver," Edith interrupted. "I came here on foot."

"What!" the tall blond whirled around, "why would your parents allow you to do such a thing!"

"They don't know," she admitted sheepishly. "I... I said, I wasn't feeling well. They think I've gone to my room for a lie down."

"Instead, you've walked here! You could have fallen or been seriously injured and no one would be the wiser!" Never had Anthony raised his voice to Edith but now he sounded positively furious and the shock of it caused the strawberry blonde to take a step back. The baronet took a deep breath, attempting, unsuccesfully, to bring his temper under control, "And, at this time of night. Why on earth would you act so irresponsibly!"

"I... I was desperate to... to see you," Edith murmured, "I would have been here much earlier but I was so deep in thought that I failed to notice...," she sighed, "I took a wrong turn."

The older gentleman pinched the bridge of his nose, "Might I ask what was so important that it couldn't wait until morning?"

"I needed to speak to you about," the young woman looked from Anthony to the butler and back to Anthony, "our arrangement," she whispered. "I wasn't sure you'd be here tomorrow morning so I figured it best to come tonight."

"Oh," Anthony felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. Well, it certainly hadn't taken the young woman long to come to her senses and realize she could do better than him. "I see," he said quietly, "perhaps, we should step into the library."

Ever the gentleman, Anthony held the library door open, allowing his guest to enter first. Shutting it behind them, he leaned against the cool oak wood, avoiding Edith's gaze "I had hoped you would not come to your senses so soon," he murmured, running a hand through his blond waves. "I had hoped you might have allowed me a year or so to prove that you'd not made a mistake in marrying me."

Edith stared at him, "Whatever are you talking about?"

"You wanted to talk about our arrangement, I... I'm assuming you've changed your mind."

"Oh!" the strawberry blonde's eyes widened, "I have, but not like that."

Anthony looked up in surprise, "then what did you mean?"

"I... I only meant...you... you said...that you can get a special license..." She took a deep breath, and tried again, "I want to marry you now, Anthony. I don't want to wait. I want to be your wife. Then, should we have to be apart, I'll know, as much as it is possible, what is happening with you. Has your wife, I'd be your next of kin, and should you be hurt or worse," she shuddered, "I'll be the first to know, none of this waiting until someone decides or remembers to tell me. Please, won't you allow me that?"


	13. Yes Or No? And, The Answer Is

Edith stood before Anthony, nervously awaiting his response. An eternity had passed, at least that's how it seemed to the strawberry blonde, and still he'd said nothing. Suddenly, she regretted having acted so foolishly. Anthony, though, was simply rendered speechless by the fact that this charming young woman standing before him wanted to marry, and right away. His eyes traveled down her slender frame and he forced himself not to laugh at her disheveled appearance. The poor thing was covered in mud, hair askew, dress creased and crumpled, and yet, he'd never thought her more lovely. The tall blond was chuffed. Edith was brave, beautiful, spontaneous, and, most of all, for reasons he didn't entirely understand, she wanted him, Anthony Strallan. If he were a peacock, he'd puff out his chest, spread his feathers, and strut about the room. He let out a short bark of laughter at the ridiculousness of such a thought.

Edith had been watching the baronet closely, trying to gauge his reaction and she'd seen the wide grin that crossed his face before he'd burst out laughing. He was going to refuse her, of that she was certain. The strawberry blonde wracked her brain, desperately trying to think of a way to convince Anthony to say yes. "You... you suggested... a... a secret proposal," she stammered, "perhaps, we could have a secret marriage instead. I... I could go to London... visit Aunt Rosamund for a few days. Then, once you'd made the arrangements, you could call on me and we'd go to the registry office. No one need know..."

Anthony's bright smile faded to a thin grim line of, was that anger, disappointment, Edith wasn't sure. Oh. lord, she thought, he doesn't want to get married under any circumstances. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, turning from him "I should leave." He grasped her wrist, "Where are you going?"

"Obviously," she tried to wrench herself free from Anthony's grip, but the tall blond held on tight, "my suggestion was a mistake, so..."

"Why would you think that?"

"Well, you've said nothing. Apparently, you can't even bring yourself to answer no, much less, yes."

"Alright then, no!"

"No," Edith's voice quivered, "no, what?"

"No, we'll not marry in secret. Has I told you, a secret engagement was so that we would not be bombarded with chaperones. Marriage is an entirely different matter. Has man and wife, we've the right to come and go and do as we please. We're free to pursue a deeper understanding of those things we already know about each other, and," his voice dropped to a low tone that made Edith weak in the knees, "completely free to indulge in the more personal aspects of our relationship." Her legs buckling, Edith collapsed onto the sofa behind her. Anthony came to sit beside her, and not at the respectable distance he usually maintained but with his knees brushing against hers and his arm around her shoulder. He leaned in, his breath warm against her earlobe, "So, to answer your question, yes, I'll arrange for a special license and we'll marry right away," he whispered, "but not in secret." His arm tightened around her shoulders and, with his other hand, he tilted her face up to his. "I think this decision warrants a kiss, don't you?" he asked huskily.

"Yes!" Edith squeaked, wincing at the high pitch of her voice.

Slowly, Anthony feathered kisses beneath her ear, along her jawline, and to the corner of her mouth before claiming her lips. His other hand which had, at some point, dropped to her hip, was now working it's way slowly upwards. Under normal circumstances, upon hearing Edith moan, the baronet would have ceased his ministrations, but now, knowing that in a few days they were to be married, he allowed himself a bit of leeway. Grazing the top of her bosom, he paused, was she not? He gave a gentle squeeze, no, she most certainly wasn't. Quickly, his hand skirted up to dip below the neckline of her dress, finding that only the thin cotton material of her undergarment separated his eager fingers from the warmth of her bare breasts.

"Edith," he whispered hoarsely, "not that I'm all that familiar with the latest in women's fashion but I thought...don't women still wear corsets?"

"Of course, we do, silly, but I took mine off before coming to see you." At the jolt of lust that shot through his body, Anthony groaned, leaning into her with his body and pressing her further down into the cushions.

"It would have been a bit difficult," the strawberry blonde giggled, "traipsing across two estates while wearing such a confining garment."

"You came through the woods?" The baronet laughed, "I wondered why you'd arrived in such a of disarray."

"Yes, well, I didn't exactly take the time to plan this little excursion of mine. If I had, I would have worn my riding clothes and boots."

"I'm certainly glad you didn't because then I wouldn't have been able to do this." His hand trailed slowly back down to her hip, brushing gently along her thigh and then down and under the hem of her dress. He paused momentarily before skimming his fingers up over her calf and gripping firmly at the bend of her knee.

"An... Anth... Anthony," Edith whimpered.

"Hmmm," he murmurmed, nipping at her collar bone, "yes?"

"If... If you want...you can have me."

Anthony gave a low growl, very much tempted by the strawberry blonde's offer, but, after a few quick thrusts of his hips against her, he pulled away, leaving the young woman feeling suddenly cold and ashamed. "I didn't mean to ruin the mood," she apologized, "you must think me terribly wanton."

"Yes," the baronet gave a crooked grin, "and terribly spontaneous as well." He paused for a moment as though thinking over an important matter, "spontaneous and wanton, two of your most admirable qualities," he teased.

"Oh, stop it," Edith blushed, swatting at his shoulder.

"Perhaps, when we're married, that's how I shall introduce you, _Pardon me, but have you met my wife, Lady Strallan, she's quite spontaneous and,"_ he lowered his voice and raised his eyebrow in a suggestive manner, _"wanton."_

"You wouldn't!" the strawberry blonde shrieked.

"I seem to recall you mentioning something about hidden layers," he chuckled. "Come," he said, pushing himself up, "I must get you home before it gets any later."

"Wouldn't you like to kiss me for just a bit longer?"

"My sweet, I assure you, there's nothing I would enjoy more."

"Then I don't see ..."

"Edith, if you must know, I intend to speak with your father, to ask for your hand in marriage, but if you and I lie there," he motioned towards the sofa, "kissing each other for much longer, I fear that rather than asking for permission, I'll be informing him that we **_have_** to marry."


	14. What Is The Meaning Of This Nonsense

**Thank you all so much for all the lovely reviews over the last chapters. I apologize for not responding to each of you individually, but I believe you'd prefer updates over PMs. Anyway, you folks are the best! xx **

Pulling the Rolls to a stop in front of the Abbey, Anthony cut the engine, reaching to intertwine his fingers with Edith's, "I have to ask once more, my sweet, are you sure want to do this tonight? We can afford to wait a day or two if you don't feel..."

Giving his hand a firm squeeze, she calmly replied, "I'm prepared to brave it if you are."

With years of experience under his belt, Carson, ever the picture of professionalism, showed no reaction to the unexpected visit of Sir Anthony but when the butler's gaze fell on Lady Edith, even he could not prevent the slight rise of his bushy brows as he took in her appearance. He led them down the hall to where the family had gathered in the drawing room and opening the door, he announced, "Sir Anthony Strallan" and the couple entered arm in arm.

Robert rose to greet his guest, "Sir Anthony, were we expecting you?"

"No, but I would like..."

"Good lord, Edith," Mary interrupted, calling everyone's attention to the strawberry blonde, "you look as though you've been rolling around in the stables."

Edith felt the older gentleman tense at her sister's remarks, "Ignore her," she whispered, "this is our moment, you mustn't let her ruin it." She turned to the brunette, "I went for a walk and ended up at Sir Anthony's."

"Why on earth would you go for a walk?" Lady Grantham looked confused. "I thought you were ill."

"More like lovesick," Sybil giggled, causing Anthony to blush and Edith to glare in her direction.

"For heaven sakes, Edith," the dowager clearly was not happy, "what type of nonsense have you gotten yourself into this time?"

Trying hard not to let his frustration bleed into his voice, the baronet began again, "As I was saying, I've asked Lady Edith to marry me and she has accepted. Our intention is to marry as soon as I secure a special license." He focused his gaze on Robert and Cora, "to have your blessing would mean a great deal to the both of us."

Lady Violet tapped her cane drawing everyone's attention, "Well, I, for one, certainly can't condone this match..."

"Seeing that Edith is my daughter, Mama, I don't think you have much say in the matter." He turned to the baronet, "Sir Anthony, might I speak with you in the library?" Edith rose as well, "Alone." The strawberry blonde looked imploringly towards the baronet, who held up his hand, giving her a reassuring nod before following after her father.

Closing the library door, Robert busied himself for a moment pouring two snifters of brandy. Taking a sip from one glass, he offered the other to Anthony, "So you and Edith would like to marry, immediately. Are you certain it's a good idea, to do so? I mean with the war and all."

Taking a deep breath, the tall blond drew himself up to his full height, standing tall and gallant, "There are only three things of which I'm certain Lord Grantham, one, is that I love your daughter, utterly and completely. Two, she loves me. And, three, for the first time in my life, I am in love."

The earl gave Anthony a hard glance, "And, Maude? You weren't in love with Maude?"

"Maude was a means to fulfill my obligation to the Strallan name, surely you, of all people understand the pressure of one's duty to family. But, with Edith, it's different. Perhaps, there'll be an heir, perhaps, not," the older gentleman shrugged, "either way, it matters not to me as long as Edith is happy and well cared for."

"I see," Robert took another sip of brandy. "And, if I refuse to give you my blessing?"

Anthony's expression hardened, "then I promise you Lord Grantham," came his steely reply, " I will, by any means necessary, find a way to marry Edith."

"So, you would defy my wishes?"

"I admit that I would prefer not to, but," Anthony lost what little patience he'd struggled to maintain, "my god Robert, did you see the girl? She pretended to be ill in order to go trudging about two estates, trekking through the woods and across streams, getting herself covered with mud and ruining her dress in the process. And, for what reason? To show up on my doorstep. On my doorstep," he reiterated proudly, tapping himself on the chest, "declaring that she wants to be my wife as soon as possible. Edith is an intelligent, spirited, loving young woman and in her, I've been offered a very precious gift. I ask you, would you refuse such a gift because I won't. So, in to answer your question, yes, I would defy your wishes."

"You forgot to mention beautiful."

The baronet snapped, "I wouldn't have thought I needed to," he bellowed. "Any fool can see how beautiful Edith is. You'd have to be blind not to!" he spat out sarcastically. His right hand came up to his temple, performing slow, circular motions in an effort to calm himself, "forgive me, Lord Grantham, for my abominable behavior."

Well, old chap, I must say, you've exceeded all my expectations, the earl thought to himself as he studied the baronet thoughtfully, now to see well how our darling girl does. He stepped into the hall, "Carson," he called loudly, "would you please ask Lady Edith to join us."

"Yes, m'lord."

Anthony made to leave as the strawberry blonde approached, but Robert stopped him, "no, I'd like for you to stay. You have as much right as I to hear what she has to say."

"The two of you may find this a bit impertinent, but I must ask, is there a reason you need to marry so quickly?" Mortified, Edith blushed furiously, "Papa, how could you think such a thing?"

"Lord Grantham, I give you my word as a gentleman," the baronet intervened, "nothing untoward has occurred between your daughter and I."

"Alright then, Edith, why are you in such a hurry to marry Sir Anthony? Help me understand your reasons for rushing into this marriage."

The strawberry blonde stood and began pacing back and forth, "I really don't know how to explain it." She turned to her father, "When we're together, I feel... I feel," she paused, "I feel like my life was this giant puzzle and love, a huge piece that was missing, and for such a long time, I kept trying to force pieces to fit into that empty space, first Patrick, then Matthew, but Anthony came along and suddenly it all fell into place so effortlessly. And, now, whenever we're apart, it's as though I'm out on the ocean being tossed to and fro without a life line, just drifting along without any sense of belonging or direction. Does that make any sense, Papa? There's also the fact that, even when we're surrounded by other people, he makes me feel as if I'm the only person in the room who matters. And, when he enters the room," Edith sighed dreamily, "my palms get sweaty, my heart starts racing, and my knees go weak. Not to mention when he kisses me," Lord Grantham's eyebrows shot up at that bit of information and he cast a surprised look towards the tall blond, "I don't even know how to begin to describe the feelings that evokes..."

"That's quite enough," her father muttered, feeling a tad bit embarrassed, "I needn't hear anymore on that subject." He studied his daughter intently, as if truly seeing her for the first time, "You're not concerned you may have to care for Anthony in his old age?"

"It's my understanding that the phrase, in sickness and in health, is an integral part of every couple's marriage vows. Besides," she gave him a knowing glance, "I'm pretty sure that if I do have to care for him, Anthony won't consider it as ghastly a prospect as some might." Robert dropped his head unable to bear the hurt reflected in his daughter's eyes, "If I deny you my blessing," he mumbled in shame "what then?"

The strawberry blonde lifted her chin defiantly, "If I have to tie together bed sheets and scale down the Abbey walls in the middle of the night, Papa, I will marry this man!" The two men studied the young woman before them, Anthony's expression a mixture of baffled delight and pride, her father's one of admiration. Their gaze drifting from Edith to each other, both men gave a delighted laugh as though sharing an inside joke. The object of their attention was not amused, "I mean it Papa!" Robert reached for his daughter's hand, "Yes, I believe you would, my darling girl, I believe you would."

Crossing the room, he rang the bell, his butler appearing as if on cue, "Carson, my good man, please bring two bottles of our finest from the cellar," he ordered, "we have an engagement to celebrate!" Edith ran to her father, throwing her arms around him, "Oh, Papa!" she cried, kissing his cheek. "Congratulations, dear girl." Anthony stepped forward, bowing his head slightly, "Thank you, Lord Grantham." The Crawley patriarch extended his hand, "seeing that you're soon to be my son-in-law, I think we can dispense with formalities, please, call me Robert." He clapped the taller gentleman on the shoulder, "welcome to the family, Anthony!"

Robert entered the drawing room ahead of his daughter and future son-in-law. "Well," his mother remarked as her son rejoined the others, "I'm glad to see you've dealt with this nonsense so quickly and sent Strallan on his way." The earl rolled his eyes, "Actually, I've done quite the opposite. I gave them my blessing and welcomed Anthony to the family, as will you, Mama."

"Are you quite certain, my dear?" Cora sounded surprised but pleased. Her husband nodded towards the couple as they entered the room, "Look at them," he replied softly, "if ever I saw a perfect match, one based on mutual love and adoration, it's those two." Robert glanced towards Mary and Sybil, and when he spoke, his voice was laced with disappointment and regret at knowing that he and Cora's marriage had not started on the same terms with which Edith and Anthony would begin their new life together, "May all our daughters be so fortunate."


End file.
